What a find was Joanne Friar! She’d been creating wonderful, endearing, award-winning art for children’s books for more than 20 years before we were lucky enough to see her work back in 2013. Seeing the warmth and personality in everything she did, we felt she was exactly the artist to illustrate our Meanings of Life cards.
Maybe it’s because — in addition to being a talented artist — she has a big and wise heart.
Joanne lost both of her parents in 2019, after caring for her father with Alzheimer’s, and mother with dementia and anemia. “Caregiving is tough,” Joanne acknowledges. “Our parents were married 67 years, and my brother and I tried hard to honor their wishes to stay in their home. To make that possible for them, we took turns … my big-hearted brother lived a half-hour away, and some days went over twice.“
To those of us looking for ways to support the caregivers we know, Joanne advises, “The best thing you can really do is just listen, because sometimes what caregivers need is to just unload. I know I felt like I had all this tension inside and needed to talk about it but, when I started unloading, I felt bad and embarrassed. Because, first of all, I knew how lucky I was to have had both my parents for that long – most people don’t! – and, second, because caring for them was not the only thing I wanted to talk about. It’s just that caretaking is so consuming that it can be so isolating.“
Another way to lend support, Joanne suggests, might be to make short visits to the person being cared for. “I emphasize ‘short’ because, at least in our parents’ case, they tired easily; but having visitors other than my brother and me was so uplifting — releasing those endorphins made my parents happy, and our role easier. I’m not suggesting you assume the caregiver’s role on these visits,” she emphasized, “because that could cause real confusion. I’m saying visit for fun, not to work.
“It helped that my great husband was willing to troop over there with me day or night,” Joanne says with a smile. “He loves sailing, so I would always tell him that creating Meanings of Life is my sailing. :) When the going got tough, I’d go sit and paint new cards. It’s not work, I’d say. It’s my stress relief!”
Our CEO Ana once remarked, “I was testing something on the website and happened to land on our wildflowers card and, I just have to say, Joanne does an especially wonderful job illustrating flowers. Perhaps I just saw it with more intention (since I was very focused at the time), but it struck me again how beautiful this card is. All her art for Meanings of Life is great, but the flowers are especially.”
Joanne would be quick to say that flowers are her favorites! Which are yours?
Joanne’s Favorites
What a find was Joanne Friar! She’d been creating wonderful, endearing, award-winning art for children’s books for more than 20 years before we were lucky enough to see her work back in 2013. Seeing the warmth and personality in everything she did, we felt she was exactly the artist to illustrate our Meanings of Life cards.
Maybe it’s because — in addition to being a talented artist — she has a big and wise heart.
Joanne lost both of her parents in 2019, after caring for her father with Alzheimer’s, and mother with dementia and anemia. “Caregiving is tough,” Joanne acknowledges. “Our parents were married 67 years, and my brother and I tried hard to honor their wishes to stay in their home. To make that possible for them, we took turns … my big-hearted brother lived a half-hour away, and some days went over twice.“
To those of us looking for ways to support the caregivers we know, Joanne advises, “The best thing you can really do is just listen, because sometimes what caregivers need is to just unload. I know I felt like I had all this tension inside and needed to talk about it but, when I started unloading, I felt bad and embarrassed. Because, first of all, I knew how lucky I was to have had both my parents for that long – most people don’t! – and, second, because caring for them was not the only thing I wanted to talk about. It’s just that caretaking is so consuming that it can be so isolating.“
Another way to lend support, Joanne suggests, might be to make short visits to the person being cared for. “I emphasize ‘short’ because, at least in our parents’ case, they tired easily; but having visitors other than my brother and me was so uplifting — releasing those endorphins made my parents happy, and our role easier. I’m not suggesting you assume the caregiver’s role on these visits,” she emphasized, “because that could cause real confusion. I’m saying visit for fun, not to work.
“It helped that my great husband was willing to troop over there with me day or night,” Joanne says with a smile. “He loves sailing, so I would always tell him that creating Meanings of Life is my sailing. :) When the going got tough, I’d go sit and paint new cards. It’s not work, I’d say. It’s my stress relief!”
Our CEO Ana once remarked, “I was testing something on the website and happened to land on our wildflowers card and, I just have to say, Joanne does an especially wonderful job illustrating flowers. Perhaps I just saw it with more intention (since I was very focused at the time), but it struck me again how beautiful this card is. All her art for Meanings of Life is great, but the flowers are especially.”
Joanne would be quick to say that flowers are her favorites! Which are yours?
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